Methods and apparatus for forming a high dielectric film and the dielectric film formed thereby

ABSTRACT

A method of forming a high dielectric oxide film conventionally formed using a post formation oxygen anneal to reduce the leakage current of such film includes forming a high dielectric oxide film on a surface. The high dielectric oxide film has a dielectric constant greater than about 4 and includes a plurality of oxygen vacancies present during the formation of the film. The high dielectric oxide film is exposed during the formation thereof to an amount of atomic oxygen sufficient for reducing the number of oxygen vacancies and eliminating the post formation oxygen anneal of the high dielectric oxide film. Further, the amount of atomic oxygen used in the formation method may be controlled as a function of the amount of oxygen incorporated into the high dielectric oxide film during the formation thereof or be controlled as a function of the concentration of atomic oxygen in a process chamber in which the high dielectric oxide film is being formed. An apparatus for forming the high dielectric oxide film is also described.

This is a divisional of application Ser. No. 10/213,812, filed Aug. 7,2002, (pending), which is a continuation of application Ser. No.08/807,831, filed Feb. 27, 1997, and issued as U.S. Pat. No. 6,461,982on Oct. 8, 2002, which are all incorporated herein by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention pertains to high dielectric constant films. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to methods and apparatus forforming high dielectric constant films utilizing the incorporation ofatomic oxygen during the formation of such films.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Various dielectric films have been formed in the past during thefabrication of semiconductor devices. For example, films such as silicondioxide and silicon nitride have been used for dielectric films in theformation of capacitors, such as for memory devices, including dynamicrandom access memories and static random access memories. Such filmstypically have small leakage currents associated therewith.

With the shrinkage of minimum feature sizes of semiconductor devices,the requirement of providing high capacitance with thinner films isbecoming apparent. As the dielectric constant of silicon dioxide andsilicon nitride are relatively low, the need for utilizing higherdielectric constant films, such as tantalum pentoxide (Ta₂O₅), strontiumtitanate oxide (SrTiO₃), and barium strontium titanate(Ba_(x)Sr_(1-x)TiO₃) arises. Such high dielectric films provide theability to achieve a larger capacitance value in a smaller area, i.e.,with a thinner dielectric film.

However, conventional deposition processes for forming such highdielectric constant films result in films having leakage current levelsthat are unacceptable for semiconductor devices being fabricated. Asdescribed in the article entitled, “Leakage Current Mechanisms ofAmorphous and Polycrystalline Ta₂O₅ Films Grown by Chemical VaporDeposition,” by Aoyama et al., J. Electrochem. Soc., Vol. 143, No. 3,March 1996, various treatments have been carried out after Ta₂O₅ filmdeposition to reduce the leakage current thereof For example, suchtreatments described included dry O₂ treatment, dry O₃ treatment, O₂treatment with utilization of ultraviolet exposure, O₃ treatment withuse of ultraviolet exposure, and N₂O plasma treatment. The results fromthe paper indicate that the presence of impurities, such as carbon andhydrogen, remaining in the Ta₂O₅ film leads to generally high leakagecurrent and that oxidation of such impurities results in the reductionof the leakage current. However, post-deposition oxidation of suchimpurities results in a fabrication step generally not applicable toother dielectric films such as silicon dioxide and silicon nitride. Suchpost-deposition oxidation of high dielectric films, hereinafter referredto generally as post-deposition oxygen anneal, in addition to reducingthroughput of devices also increases the thermal budget for fabricationof the devices.

Therefore, there is a need in the art for high dielectric oxide filmformation methods and apparatus for forming high dielectric films,reducing throughput of devices by eliminating steps in the depositionprocess. The present invention provides such methods and apparatus forovercoming the problems as described above and other problems that willbe readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the description ofthe present invention below.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A method of forming a high dielectric oxide film conventionally formedusing a post-formation oxygen anneal to reduce the leakage current ofsuch film is described. The method in accordance with the presentinvention includes forming a high dielectric oxide film on a surface.The high dielectric oxide film has a dielectric constant greater thanabout 4. The high dielectric oxide film includes a plurality of oxygenvacancies as the film is formed. The high dielectric oxide film isexposed to an amount of atomic oxygen during formation thereofsufficient for reducing the number of oxygen vacancies and eliminatingthe post-formation oxygen anneal of the formed high dielectric oxidefilm.

In one embodiment of the method, the amount of atomic oxygen to whichthe high dielectric oxide film is exposed during formation thereof iscontrolled as a function of the amount of oxygen incorporated into thehigh dielectric oxide film. In another embodiment of the method, theamount of atomic oxygen is controlled as a function of the concentrationof atomic oxygen in a process chamber used for formation of the highdielectric oxide film.

In other embodiments of the method, the atomic oxygen is provided by atleast one of O₃, NO, and N₂O. Further, the atomic oxygen may be providedby generation of a plasma from at least one of O₃, NO, N₂O, or O₂.Ionized atomic oxygen generated by the plasma may be attracted to thesurface for incorporation in the high dielectric oxide film by biasingthe surface. Further, the plasma may be generated remotely of thesurface upon which the high dielectric film is formed or in proximity tothe surface.

In other embodiments of the method, the high dielectric film may includeTa₂O₅, Ba_(x)Sr_(1-x)TiO₃, Y₂O₃, TiO₂, HfO₂, PZT, PLZT, or SBT. Further,the atomic oxygen utilized for exposing the high dielectric oxide filmmay be exposed to a heat source.

In another method of forming a dielectric film in the fabrication ofsemiconductor devices, an amount of atomic oxygen for use in theformation of the film on a surface is provided. The high dielectricoxide film has a dielectric constant greater than about 4. A vaporizedprecursor is also provided for use in the formation of the film. Thehigh dielectric oxide film is then formed using the atomic oxygen andthe vaporized precursor. The amount of atomic oxygen is controlled as afunction of the amount of atomic oxygen necessary to reduce the leakagecurrent levels to below a predetermined level.

In another method of forming a dielectric film in the fabrication ofsemiconductor devices, atomic oxygen is provided for use in theformation of a Ta₂O₅ film on a surface. A vaporized tantalum precursoris also provided for forming the film. The Ta₂O₅ film is formed usingthe atomic oxygen and the vaporized tantalum precursor whilesimultaneously performing an in situ oxygen anneal of the film. In oneembodiment of this method, the precursor is a carbon-free solidprecursor.

An apparatus for forming a high dielectric oxide film in accordance withthe present invention is also described. The apparatus includes acontrollable atomic oxygen source and a vaporized precursor source. Adeposition chamber for receiving the atomic oxygen from the atomicoxygen source and vaporized precursor from the vaporized precursorsource is utilized for locating a structure therein for deposition ofthe high dielectric oxide film on a surface thereof. The high dielectricoxide film has a dielectric constant greater than about 4. The apparatusfurther includes a detection mechanism for detecting a characteristic ofthe deposition of the high dielectric oxide film on the surface of thestructure. The controllable atomic oxygen source is controlled as afunction of the detected characteristic.

Further, in accordance with the present invention, a high dielectricoxide film is provided. The high dielectric oxide film includes one ofTa₂O₅, Ba_(x)Sr_(1-x)TiO₃, Y₂O₃, TiO₂, HfO₂, PZT, PLZT, and SBT. Thedielectric film is formed by depositing the high dielectric oxide filmon a surface while exposing the high dielectric oxide film duringformation thereof to a concentration of atomic oxygen sufficient forreducing oxygen vacancies therein and sufficient to eliminate apost-formation oxygen anneal of the high dielectric oxide film. In oneembodiment of the high dielectric oxide film, the film is deposited onan electrode of a capacitor in a semiconductor memory device.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a general illustration of a portion of a device structureincluding a high dielectric oxide film formed in accordance with thepresent invention.

FIG. 2 is a block illustration of an apparatus for use in depositinghigh dielectric oxide films in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a block illustration of an alternate configuration of theapparatus of FIG. 2 in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a block illustration of an alternate configuration of theapparatus of FIG. 2 in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an alternate configuration of the apparatus as shown in FIG.2, further including a detection and control mechanism in accordancewith the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE EMBODIMENTS

The present invention shall be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and2. Thereafter, additional embodiments of the present invention shall befurther described with reference to FIGS. 3-5.

FIG. 1 is an illustration of a portion 10 of a device structure, such asa portion of a capacitor, gate dielectric, or other device structure,which includes a high dielectric film 14. For example, the devicestructure may be a portion of a memory device, such as a dynamic randomaccess memory. As shown in FIG. 1, the portion 10 includes a layer orfilm 12 of the device structure 10 having a surface 16. The layer orfilm 12 can be any material utilized in the fabrication of semiconductordevices. For example, if the device structure is a random access memoryand the portion 10 is part of a capacitor, the layer 12 is an electrode.Such an electrode may be either a smooth or a rugged electrode and,further, the electrode may be of any conducting material, such as ametal, a semiconductor, a semi-metal, or any combination thereof, i.e.,a stack containing one or more such electrode materials. For example,Ta₂O₅ deposition using a TaF₅ precursor may be formed on polysilicon,crystalline silicon, hemispherical grain polysilicon, germanium, orsilicon-germanium, WSi_(x), or TiN. Such electrodes may be treated byrapid thermal anneal in an oxygen and/or nitrogen atmosphere. Afterformation of the high dielectric film, a top electrode is formed as partof the capacitor as known to one skilled in the art. Further, forexample, if the portion 10 of the device structure is representative ofa gate region, the layer or film 12 may be representative of asemiconductor substrate, such as silicon. Semiconductor substrate refersto the base semiconductor layer, e.g., the lowest layer of siliconmaterial on a wafer or a silicon layer deposited on another materialsuch as silicon on sapphire. The term “semiconductor substrate assembly”refers to a part of a device structure including a semiconductorsubstrate having one or more layers, films or structures formed thereon.

The portion 10 of the device structure further includes a highdielectric oxide film 14 formed on surface 16 of the layer or film 12 inaccordance with the present invention: The high dielectric oxide film 14may include any film having a dielectric constant (∈) greater than about4. For example, the high dielectric oxide film 14 may be Ta₂O₅,Ba_(x)Sr_(1-x)TiO₃, SrTiO₃, Y₂O₃, TiO₂, HfO₂, PZT (lead zirconatetitanate), PLZT (lanthanum-doped lead zirconate titanate), SBT(strontium bismuth titanate), BST (barium strontium titanate), or anyother high dielectric oxide film formed with a low oxygen content suchthat oxygen vacancies therein are present when such films are formedutilizing conventional formation methods. For example, such conventionalformation methods include high dielectric formation methods using O₂ asa source gas and many of which require post-deposition anneals in anoxygen ambient in order to eliminate or reduce these vacancies. Suchoxygen vacancies using current deposition methods result in higher thannormal leakage current levels for such high dielectric oxide films. Forexample, such oxygen vacancies are a result of the impurities carbon andhydrogen remaining in the film after deposition thereof

The high dielectric oxide film 14 formed in accordance with the presentinvention eliminates the oxygen vacancies during the formation of thehigh dielectric oxide film 14. In other words, the film 14 undergoes anin situ oxygen anneal simultaneously with the formation of the film.Atomic oxygen is utilized during formation of the high dielectric oxidefilm to fill the oxygen vacancies as the film is formed. Suchelimination of the oxygen vacancies produces a high dielectric oxidefilm which is more stoichiometric and impurity-free and therefore haslower leakage current levels. Excess atomic oxygen is incorporated intothe high dielectric oxide film during formation thereof through the useof atomic oxygen containing sources such as O₃, N₂O, NO, as well asatomic oxygen provided in other manners as described below. The atomicoxygen is incorporated into the film in a concentration sufficient toeliminate the need for post-formation oxygen anneals, as typicallyrequired in conventional deposition of such high dielectric oxide films.By eliminating or reducing the need for post-formation oxygen annealsthrough the use of an in situ oxygen anneal in accordance with thepresent invention, throughput is increased and a reduced thermal budgetis achieved.

In addition, the high dielectric oxide film 14 may be part of a stack ofother dielectric films, i.e., a stack of one or more of Ta₂O₅, TiO₂, orSi₃N₄. In such a configuration, an anneal of all the layers may still benecessary to reduce the leakage current depending upon the filmsutilized in such a stack.

Although the present invention is particularly described with respect tothe formation of a Ta₂O₅ high dielectric oxide film, other highdielectric constant oxide films have similar leakage current levelproblems. The present invention is therefore beneficial not only for theTa₂O₅ film, but for any other such high dielectric oxide film havingoxygen vacancies or low oxygen content when formed in conventionalmanners. Therefore, the present invention is not limited to the Ta₂O₅film but is limited only in accordance with the present invention asdescribed in the accompanying claims.

The method of forming the high dielectric oxide film 14 in accordancewith the present invention shall be described with reference to theapparatus 20 shown in FIG. 2. Apparatus 20 includes process chamber 22and a device structure 15 located therein on device structure holder 17.The process chamber 22 further includes vacuum pump 24 for evacuatingthe chamber and a heat source 26, such as an ultraviolet (UV) ormicrowave radiation source directed into the process chamber 22 for usein providing atomic oxygen using ozone, i.e., for example. UV ozonetreatment. The process chamber 22 may be any conventional chamberutilized for the formation of films in the fabrication of semiconductordevices. For example, the process chamber 22 is representative ofvarious CVD process chambers including, but not limited to, hot wall orcold wall reactors, atmospheric or reduced pressure reactors, as well asplasma enhanced reactors. Therefore, the present invention contemplatesdeposition of the films in accordance with the present inventionutilizing low pressure CVD (LPCVD), physical vapor deposition (PVD),plasma enhanced CVD (PECVD), and reduced thermal CVD (RTCVD). Further,the present invention may be applicable or used with other sputteringprocesses for forming high dielectric oxide films.

Apparatus 20 for depositing the high dielectric oxide film 14 furtherincludes controllable atomic oxygen source 27 and controllable vaporizedprecursor source 29. Controllable atomic oxygen source 27 includesatomic oxygen source 28 and a mass flow controller 32. The mass flowcontroller 32 may be any commercially available flow controller utilizedfor controlling a gas flow. The mass flow controller 32 controls theflow of atomic oxygen from atomic oxygen source 28 via gas line 40 intothe process chamber 22. Atomic oxygen source 28 may include any atomicoxygen containing source, such as O₃, N₂O, NO, or any combinationthereof.

The controllable vaporized precursor source 29, at least in theembodiment shown in FIG. 2, includes carrier gas source 30, mass flowcontroller 34, and precursor source 36. The mass flow controller 34,which may be any flow controller for controlling gas flow, is utilizedto control the flow of an inert gas such as, for example, Ar, N₂, He,H₂, N₂O, NO, provided from carrier gas source 30. The carrier gasutilized is used to generate and/or move vaporized precursor fromprecursor source 36 through gas line 42 into the process chamber 22.

Although the controlled vaporized precursor source 29 is shown toinclude carrier gas source 30, mass flow controller 34, and precursorsource 36, the controllable vaporized precursor source 29 may be of anyconfiguration suitable for providing one or more vaporized precursorsfor formation of the desired high dielectric oxide film into processchamber 22. For example, the controlled vaporized precursor source 29may include a liquid source or a solid source vaporized in anyparticular manner including, but in no manner limited to, solidsublimation, bubbler delivery, flash vaporization of solid particles ormicrodroplets.

For example, solid precursors utilized may include TaF₅, TaCl₅, or othertantalum halides for depositing Ta₂O₅. Other nonorganic solid precursorsare also available for forming BST, PZT, PLZT, etc. Liquid precursorsutilized may include Ta(OC₂H₅)₅ or any other organometallic liquidscontaining tantalum for forming Ta₂O₅. However, any vaporized precursorsuitable for use in forming the desired high dielectric film 14 inprocess chamber 22 may be utilized.

In accordance with the present invention, the controllable atomic oxygensource 27 provides an excess of atomic oxygen during formation of thehigh dielectric oxide film typically having oxygen vacancies and higherleakage current levels. As such, the high dielectric oxide film 14 isthen formed with oxygen vacancies being filled as the high dielectricoxide film 14 is formed. The concentration or amount of atomic oxygennecessary in the process chamber 22 depends upon the type of highdielectric film 14 being formed.

One skilled in the art will recognize that the deposition process may beperformed in either single wafer or batch type systems. Further, itshould be apparent that the deposition process may be clustered with anin situ preclean and/or a post deposition conditioning chamber, i.e.,for example, ultraviolet ozone conditioning, O₃ plasma conditioning, dryoxidation in O₂, O₃, N₂O, or NO conditioning.

As one illustrative embodiment of the present invention, the apparatus20 may be similar to the cold wall type LPCVD apparatus as described inthe article entitled, “Leakage Current Mechanisms of Amorphous andPolycrystalline Ta₂O₅ Films Grown by Chemical Vapor Deposition,” byAoyama et al., J. Electrochem. Soc, Vol. 143, No. 3, March 1996 which isincorporated in its entirety herein by reference thereto. Thecontrollable atomic oxygen source 27 may include any of the oxygencontaining species described above or any combination thereof. Thecontrollable vaporized precursor source 29 may, for example, in thedeposition of a Ta₂O₅ film include a liquid precursor source 36 ofTa(OC₂H₅)₅ with the mass flow controller 34 controlling an argon carriergas for bubbling through the liquid precursor source 36 providing avaporized precursor or reactant gas for deposition of Ta₂O₅ utilizingthe process chamber 22. For example, argon gas is introduced into theTa(OC₂H₅)₅ liquid maintained at about 160° C. The atomic oxygen and theTa(OC₂H₅)₅ with argon carrier are then introduced simultaneously intothe reaction chamber through gas lines which are heated to 180° C. Inthe cold wall chamber, the substrate is heated to, for example, 400° C.and the film formed may be amorphous, crystalline, or polycrystallinedepending upon other parameters of the deposition apparatus. Forexample, temperature and pressure changes may produce an amorphous filmas opposed to a partially crystalline or crystalline film. The presentinvention is in no manner limited to any particular structuralconfiguration for the film, such as amorphous or polycrystalline, but islimited only in accordance with the present claims. Further, variouspressures, temperatures, and other deposition process parameters may beutilized to generate the desired film in accordance with the presentinvention and the present invention is not limited to any particularprocess parameters.

Ta₂O₅ films are typically deposited by LPCVD or PECVD using anorganometallic precursor such as the Ta(OC₂H₅)₅ which has a fairly lowvapor pressure of about 200 mTorr at 85° C. The LPCVD process leads toextremely good step coverage and makes the process viable for memorycell dielectric formation. However, during this process a large amountof carbon is incorporated into the dielectric film. The carbon comesfrom the precursor and results in higher leakage currents for the filmsconventionally deposited. In situ incorporation of atomic oxygen duringthe formation of the dielectric film as described above reduces theleakage current. However, to further provide additional advantage bylowering the carbon level and still providing excellent step coverage,the combination of a solid carbon-free or nonorganic precursor, with insitu incorporation of atomic oxygen, is utilized as described below.

For example, in the deposition of Ta₂O₅, a LPCVD process can beperformed utilizing a solid carbon-free precursor such as TaF₅, TaCl₅,or other tantalum halides along with atomic oxygen incorporation asdescribed herein. The LPCVD process may be performed at a depositionpressure of about 25 mTorr to about 10 Torr and at a temperature ofabout 250° C. to about 700° C. The solid precursor can be vaporized andprovided to the deposition chamber in various manners, such as forexample, heating a TaF₅ solid source to greater than about 70° C. andthen transferring the vaporized precursor to the deposition chamberusing a carrier gas such as, for example, Ar, N₂, He, H₂, N₂O, or NO.The atomic oxygen, or oxygen source, can then be provided using O₃, N₂O,NO, O₂ or any combination thereof and in any manner described herein.

FIG. 3 is an alternate configuration of an apparatus 50 for forming thehigh dielectric oxide film 14 in accordance with the present invention.The apparatus 50 includes substantially the same elements or componentsas the apparatus 20 described with reference to FIG. 2. However, thecontrolled atomic oxygen source 27 is replaced with controlled atomicoxygen source 51. The controlled atomic oxygen source 51 includes anoxygen source 52, a mass flow controller 54, and an oxygen plasmagenerator 56. In this particular configuration, the atomic oxygen isprovided to the process chamber from the oxygen plasma generator 56. Theoxygen plasma generator 56 functions as an atomic oxygen source bygenerating a plasma from the oxygen containing source 52. The oxygenplasma generator 56 may be remote from the process chamber 22 as shownin FIG. 3, or may be such as to provide a plasma in proximity to thedevice structure 15, i.e., in the process chamber with the wafer.

Oxygen source 52 may include O₃, N₂O, NO, O₂ or any combination thereof.The oxygen containing source 52 is provided to the oxygen plasmagenerator 56 by any commercially available mass flow controller 54. Forexample, an oxygen plasma may be generated utilizing an O₂ sourceprovided to a 13.56 MHz RF generator at a pressure of 0.3 torr, atemperature of 400° C., and an RF power of 0.35 W/cm². It should bereadily apparent that the parameters for the oxygen plasma generator aredependent upon the oxygen containing source utilized and the amount ofatomic oxygen to be delivered to the process chamber. Various pressures,temperatures, power levels and generators may be utilized to generatethe oxygen plasma and the present invention is not limited to anyparticular configuration for generating the oxygen plasma.

Also shown in FIG. 3 is a power source 59 for biasing the devicestructure 15 on device structure holder 17. With bias applied to thedevice structure 15, ionized atomic oxygen generated by the plasmagenerator 56 is attracted thereto and oxygen vacancies in the highdielectric oxide film 14 are filled more quickly by the ionized atomicoxygen provided in the process chamber 22. For example, but in no mannerlimited to the present invention, the power source may be ±50 volts DC.

It would be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that acombination of a plasma source 51 such as shown in FIG. 3 and an atomicoxygen source 29 such as shown in FIG. 2 may be used in combination toprovide the necessary atomic oxygen in the process chamber 22.

Another alternate configuration of an apparatus 60 for forming the highdielectric oxide film 14 shall be described with reference to FIG. 4.FIG. 4 is substantially equivalent to the apparatus 20 as shown in FIG.2. However, the apparatus 60 further includes a premixer unit 64 suchthat the vaporized precursor and the atomic oxygen provided by thecontrolled atomic oxygen source 27 and the controlled vaporizedprecursor source 29 are premixed in the premixer unit 64 prior totransfer into the process chamber 22. In such a manner, the atomicoxygen may be more evenly distributed in the vaporized precursor suchthat a more efficient filling of the oxygen vacancies typicallycontained in the high dielectric oxide film 14 are filled. It should bereadily apparent that the premixer 64 may also be utilized with theatomic oxygen provided from the oxygen plasma generator 56 in thealternate configuration shown in FIG. 3.

FIG. 5 shows the apparatus 20 for forming the high dielectric oxide film14 in accordance with the present invention and, in addition, a blockillustration of a detection and control apparatus 90 for maintaining adesired atomic oxygen concentration in the processing chamber 22. Thedetection and control apparatus 90 includes a detection device 92 and acontroller 94.

The controller 94 may be any controller apparatus, such as a processingunit and software associated therewith, or a control logic circuit forgenerating a command output to the controlled atomic oxygen source 27for controlling the concentration of atomic oxygen in processing chamber22. The command output to the controlled atomic oxygen source 27 isgenerated by the controller 94 in response to a signal generated bydetection device 92 based on a characteristic of the formation processof the high dielectric oxide film 14. The controller 94 is in no mannerlimited to any processor, any particular logic or software, or anyparticular configuration but is limited only as defined in theaccompanying claims.

Detection device 92 may be any apparatus for sensing a parameter of ahigh dielectric film formation process characteristic of the filling ofoxygen vacancies within the high dielectric oxide film 14 being formed.For example, detection device 92 may be for detecting the concentrationof atomic oxygen in the processing chamber 22. Further, for example, thedetection device 92 may be for detecting the amount of oxygenincorporated in the high dielectric oxide film 14, and thusrepresentative of the number of vacancies within the film filled so asto reduce the leakage current of the film 14.

The detection and control apparatus 90, for example, may be anyapparatus for performing ellipsometry utilizing a light source directedat the surface of the device structure 15 and a detector for detectingthe reflected light therefrom. The reflected light is utilized todetermine the amount of oxygen incorporated in the high dielectric oxidefilm being formed. As a function of the detected reflective light, thecontroller 94 with the appropriate spectroscopic software can determinethe oxygen content and generate a command for control of, for example,the mass flow controller 32 in order to increase or decrease the atomicoxygen in the processing chamber 22.

Further, for example, the detection and control apparatus 90 may includean apparatus for performing Raman spectroscopy which may be utilized todetermine the amount of oxygen incorporated in the high dielectric oxidefilm 14 and further utilized to determine the structure of the film,i.e., whether the film is amorphous or crystalline. With use of thedetected scattered light and the appropriate Raman spectroscopysoftware, a command signal may be generated to control the atomic oxygenas previously described or, further, may be utilized to control anyother parameter of the apparatus 20 such that the structure of the filmis controlled as oxygen vacancies in the film are filled.

In a further example, the concentration of the atomic oxygen in theprocessing chamber may be detected as opposed to the oxygen in the highdielectric oxide film 14. For example, a commercially available residualgas analyzer may be utilized. Such an analyzer typically includes alight source for generating light for impingement on the materials inthe process chamber 22. A detector of the analyzer may then detect thescattered light and provide an output signal which can be analyzed bythe appropriate spectroscopic software to determine oxygen concentrationin the processing chamber 22. The controlled atomic oxygen source 27 maythen be controlled as a function of the amount of atomic oxygen detectedin the processing chamber 22.

It would be readily apparent to one skilled in the art that detectionand control apparatus 90 may include any of the devices described aboveor a combination thereof. Further, other spectroscopic detection devicesor gas analysis devices typically utilized for detecting concentrationsand structures in films and in sample containers may be utilized inconjunction with the present invention. The present invention is notlimited to those listed herein, but is limited only as described in theaccompanying claims.

Although the present invention has been described with particularreference to various embodiments thereof, variations and modificationsof the present invention can be made within a contemplated scope of thefollowing claims, as is readily known to one skilled in the art.

1. A method of forming a dielectric film in the fabrication ofsemiconductor devices, the method comprising: providing atomic oxygen ina process chamber for use in deposition of a high dielectric oxide filmon a surface, the high dielectric oxide film having a dielectricconstant greater than about 4; providing a vaporized precursor in theprocess chamber with the atomic oxygen for use during the deposition ofthe high dielectric oxide film; depositing the high dielectric oxidefilm using the atomic oxygen and the vaporized precursor provided in theprocess chamber; and monitoring an amount of atomic oxygen in theprocess chamber used for deposition of the high dielectric oxide film,the atomic oxygen provided being controlled as a function of themonitored amount of atomic oxygen in the process chamber.
 2. The methodof claim 1, whereby depositing the high dielectric oxide film using theatomic oxygen and the vaporized precursor provided in the processchamber eliminates a post deposition oxygen anneal of the highdielectric oxide film.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein providingatomic oxygen comprises: providing least one of O₂, O₃, NO, and N₂O andgenerating an oxygen plasma remote from the process chamber from the atleast one of O₂, O₃, NO, and N₂O.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein thesurface is biased for attracting ionized atomic oxygen of the plasma. 5.The method of claim 1, wherein providing atomic oxygen comprises:providing at least one of O₂, O₃, NO, and N₂O; and generating an oxygenplasma in the process chamber used for deposition of the high dielectricoxide film from the at least one of O₂, O₃, NO, and N₂O.
 6. The methodof claim 1, wherein the atomic oxygen is exposed to a heat source. 7.The method of claim 1, wherein the high dielectric oxide film comprisesat least one of Ta₂O₅, Ba_(x)Sr_(1-x)TiO₃, Y₂O₃, TiO₂, HfO₂, PZT, PLZT,and SBT.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein the high dielectric oxidefilm comprises a Ta₂O₅ film.
 9. The method of claim 8, wherein providingthe vaporized precursor in the process chamber comprises providing avaporized tantalum precursor in the process chamber with the atomicoxygen for use during the deposition of the Ta₂O₅ film.
 10. The methodof claim 9, wherein depositing the high dielectric oxide film furthercomprises depositing the Ta₂O₅ film using the atomic oxygen and thevaporized tantalum precursor simultaneously while simultaneouslyperforming an in situ oxygen anneal of the Ta₂O₅ film.
 11. The method ofclaim 9, wherein providing the vaporized tantalum precursor comprisesvaporization of a carbon-free solid precursor.